Some Are Just Born Happy

Kai is a four month old kitten who somehow found himself abandoned and all alone in an unfamiliar place. Judging by his friendly attitude and trustful behavior, he had probably been somebody’s pet, until his owners got tired of him and dumped him on the street. Possibly they realized that having a cat was too expensive and time consuming? Maybe he was scratching the furniture? Or maybe, they just didn’t love him enough.

Be that as it may, Kai appeared in a parking lot in front of a building in the middle of the night, screaming at the top of his lungs. He cried so loudly that everybody could hear him, yet obviously nobody had a desire to help him. The next morning he was still there, lonely, sad, hungry and thirsty. His wide, bright, yellow eyes were full of desperate hope that someone would come to pick him up. Someone who cares. A special someone that all abandoned pets are waiting for.

The first to come were a couple of alleged animal lovers from the neighborhood who in reality, evidently, were anything but. On a hot summer day, with hellish temperatures, all that Kai was given by those "compassionate" people was some dry dog food and not a single drop of water. Brilliant thinking!

Luckily for Kai, a friend of mine heard of him shortly afterwards and took him in without hesitation. Kai is in foster care now, he is cheerful, lively, active, outgoing and incredibly affectionate. Fast as lightning, he is turning the place upside down, but he is pure cuteness when he’s asleep. He seems to have completely forgotten what he has gone through. He loves people, loves other cats, loves dogs, he’s all love! And what matters most, he is finally happy and safe, as every cat should be.

So Many Problems, So Little Money

Repairs at Felix shelter continue and a lot has been done so far, yet new and unexpected problems arise way too often. First it was the sewage system collapse and then the hydrophore system stopped working as well. In the middle of summer, with the temperatures hitting the roof, we’ve been left without running water in the backyard. The cats’ food and water bowls couldn’t be washed, plants couldn’t be watered and it was absolutely clear that the hydrophore problem needed to be solved as quickly as possible. The problem was, partly, that the hydrophore pump was covered in rust. It had to be completely disassembled, properly cleaned and polished. Something has yet to be done about the ventilation of the hydrophore tank hole to stop condensation from developing inside. It’s well known that many electrical accidents occur in damp conditions.

As yet, nothing has been done in regard to the sewage system; there simply is not enough money. The good news is that it will probably be possible to install pipes between the house and the septic hole on a higher level so that the tank, which is thought not to be full (the original pipes are too low) will be usable for some more time. The existing concrete slab over the tank must be broken in order to put in the new, removable one. However, this is only a temporary solution that will end up being a problem again later on. The whole system will have to be fixed next year, once and for all.

The timber frame for the eaves has been finished, we’ve yet to put in insulating quilt, sheathing board and then cover it with tiles. We might even use the old roof tiles together with the new ones, as the tile roofing needs to be overhauled. Gutters will be placed around the entire roof, with metal buckles that hold them in place.

And then back to the backyard. A concrete path between the house and the entrance gate has to be built, plus there's a problem with the entrance gate, which is undoubtedly the most used part of the fence. Since it has been in place for many years, the posts have started to deteriorate and become wobbly, so the gates aren’t closing properly. These posts evidently need to be replaced.

Please, help us as much as you can! Our project for repairing the shelter on betterplace.org is falling short on funds!

And while the problems are piling up, costs are rising and we’re desperately trying to find a way to cover all of the expenses. Nevertheless, the kitties are lying around like they’re in a spa, having a good and relaxing time. They don’t need to worry; somebody else is already doing it, and doing it big.

Just a Cat

Although dumping kitties on the street is unacceptable and terribly cruel, it’s becoming a regular practice for irresponsible cat owners at the beginning of the summer. Each year, innumerable kitties which have been pampered and allegedly loved all of their lives, suddenly find themselves wandering the rough and dangerous streets in the late spring. They are alone, frightened, confused, having absolutely no idea what they did wrong. They are unable to find food, escape danger, or survive on their own, so most of these stories don’t have happy endings. Giuseppe was the fortunate one.

His owners left him at the bus stop. He was nicely well-rounded, healthy, extraordinarily handsome and looked completely lost. Despite all of his qualities, obviously he wasn’t good enough for his owners to keep him. He was disposable. He was just a cat.

Sadly, he spent weeks waiting for someone who never came. A cat lover from the neighborhood was feeding him every day and trying to find him a new home. When she came to pick him up in order to take him to his foster home, he entered the carrier willingly, probably thinking his owners wanted him back. He was terribly disappointed when he arrived to an unknown place. Dismayed, angry and sad, he was growling and hissing, until he found a safe place to lie on...a computer desk. And he stayed there for days.

Little by little, Giuseppe began to realize that life was not so bad after all. He was sleeping on the bed, eating a lot and looking relaxed and content, in spite of the fact that he couldn’t go out. He even climbed through the window a couple of times, only to face the metal bars outside. What he didn’t know was that he would soon walk through the grass again.

And the day has come. Giuseppe arrived at my shelter and started living his life to the fullest. He happily walks around, sleeps in the shade and behaves as if he were born here. He doesn’t seem to have a care in the world as he finally knows he matters. He will never be “just a cat” again.

Light as a Feather, Yet Tough Enough

The sight of Tahki is heartbreaking. Her head is disproportionately large for her body, her ears are big, thin and almost transparent, and all of the sadness of the world is seen in her eyes. Her ribs are visible beneath her skin, her hips and shoulder blades are standing out like bird's wings. And yet she fights to get better, to grow, and become a normal, healthy adult.

This three month old tabby girl was found at the river bank. She must have been there for quite some time, as she was dehydrated and skinny to the bones. She was infested with fleas to the point of becoming seriously anemic. She also had ear mites and was constantly scratching at her ears. It was questionable whether she would even survive. She was in terrible shape.

The girl who found Tahki had been looking after her for three weeks, taking her to the vet almost every day. Her flea and ear mite problem was resolved before she arrived at her foster home, emaciated but hopefully healthy. Her road to full recovery has started.

Surrounded by other kitties, which are all friendly and accepting, Tahki’s finally gotten a lively twinkle in her eyes. She is filling out on a ground raw diet, and enjoys playing with her new friends. She still has a long road ahead, but it seems the sun has begun to shine upon her path. I’m hoping by the time she gets here, all of her troubles will be forgotten, and she will have a radiant, happy and fulfilling life.

Tahki is not an ordinary tabby, there’s nothing ordinary about her. She is a true survivor, a giant spirit within a tiny body. She truly deserves to be respected and loved.

The Name of the Dream is Klea

I’ll never know when and where Klea was born, nor how she ended up in a joint concrete backyard among buildings in a small Serbian town. There was an open garbage container in the yard, sending the smell of food to the neighborhood cats, and there was also a vicious pack of roaming dogs. The yard was entirely enclosed by buildings and walls and there was no way out from where the container was placed. Each cat which entered the yard had been chased by dogs and many of them died a violent death. Little Klea, my blue-eyed beauty, somehow managed to survive.

When I first heard of her, she had already been living in that horrible place for more than three weeks, hidden under a car. With her life at stake, she desperately needed help. There was no time to waste. She was seriously dehydrated, terribly skinny, exhausted and completely defenseless. I immediately contacted the girl who wrote a post about her and told her to pick up the kitten right away. And so the wheel of Klea’s personal fortune has been set in motion…

The next day, she arrived at her foster home. A friend of mine provided her with a good, quality food, cozy bed and a safe place to stay. She even had a bath, which she didn’t like. A few days later she was vet checked and vaccinated. She was getting ready for her new home and she was already starting to shine.

Klea is here now. She seemed a bit shy at first, yet she’s now running and playing with all the joy of a kitten. All of the other cats accepted her with no problems at all. Although she's still a little thin, she's incredibly beautiful. With her snowy white fur and glittering blue eyes, she seems to be pure innocence itself. How could anyone resist this angelic face?

Only the mischievous twinkle in her gaze reveals her true nature. She’ll never be a cuddly lap kitty, she is a free spirit, with enormous energy. She knows no boundaries and respects no rules. And she is amazing just the way she is.